Oscar Niemeyer's Forgotten Masterpiece

Witness History

BBC

History, Personal Journals, Society & Culture

4.5 • 1.6K Ratings

🗓️ 1 November 2017

⏱️ 11 minutes

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Summary

In the Lebanese city of Tripoli there is an exceptional architectural site which has never been used. The great modernist architect Oscar Niemeyer designed all the buildings for an international fair which was about to open when civil war broke out in the 1970s. Architect Wassim Naghi has been speaking to Nidale Abou Mrad about the fair.

Photo: The Tripoli international fair from above. Credit: BBC.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Just before this BBC podcast gets underway, here's something you may not know.
0:04.7	My name's Linda Davies and I Commission Podcasts for BBC Sounds.
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1:05.4	You're listening to the Witness's podcast from the BBC World Service,
1:09.4	history as told by the people who are there.
1:12.4	I am Nidalabumrad and today I'm taking you back to
1:16.4	1967 when building work started on a prestigious architectural project in Lebanon, but the Tripoli International
1:24.7	Fair designed by the legendary Brazilian architect Oscar Neier Meyer was never opened to
1:30.9	the public. The Lebanese Civil war broke out and the buildings were left unoccupied for decades.
	...

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